


Space to be a Child

by anxiouslyfred



Series: Dukexiety week 2020 [7]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Exclusion, Hurt / Comfort, M/M, Movie Night, dreamworks reference, dukexietyweek2020, mentioned casual nudity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:55:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26183038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anxiouslyfred/pseuds/anxiouslyfred
Summary: All the sides have Movie Nights together where they each pick a movie and play them until everyone is falling asleep. Remus’s choice keeps getting placed last in the order and Virgil is determined to change it. He can tell how upset Remus has been getting over it, even if none of the others have noticed anything.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders
Series: Dukexiety week 2020 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1894072
Comments: 1
Kudos: 109





	Space to be a Child

“So for this weeks movie night, we’re playing Roman’s choice first, then Patton’s, Virgil’s, Logan’s, Janus’s and finally Remus’s.” Logan listed off, ignoring the pout that came onto Remus’s face. Virgil frowned however, silently using a bit of mind-space trickery to swap the film selections he and Remus had. It was the least he could do.

Ever since Janus and Remus had joined their movie nights it had been the same thing, everyone else would have their placement in the order shift and change but Remus’s would always be placed last, no matter who made the decision on arrangement. So far only Patton, Logan and Roman had been allowed to choose the order for all of them actually, despite there being a rota for who chose the order including the four of them before that.

It generally meant that Remus would never get to watch his choice of film as everyone else would have fallen asleep or decided to go back to their rooms before the fourth one ended. While not even Janus had registered just yet that it was upsetting their Dark Creativity, Virgil had been feeling the insecurity growing with each movie night where Remus’s film wasn’t seen.

This week he’d tried his best to reason Logan into placing him earlier in the evening, only for his words to fall on deaf ears. The only reason he’d been given was that nobody needed the nightmares brought from placing Remus’s film early. Apparently even following it with Roman’s Disney and what Virgil would class as a comfort film wouldn’t be enough for Logan to consider moving the choice earlier in the evening.

Virgil had been torn after that response between picking the scariest film he could for his selection or choosing one he knew Remus would like. That was when he remembered the one thing more important than showing the original Light Sides just how scared Anxiety could make them. Remus already filtered the intrusive thoughts, getting all of them, even the ones not loud enough for Thomas to hear and horror films just made them exponentially worse.

He had already selected one that Remus would like but making sure Remus’s selection was seen was far more important than that in the moment.

As Footloose began to play Virgil shifted his position just enough for his hand to fall behind the sofa, offering the silent comfort he could to Remus for the time being. It wasn’t taken until halfway through the movie, but a side glance down showed there had already been a couple of silent tears hidden from the others. The feelings of rejection were almost overwhelming from Remus, enough that Virgil whispered, “After my film do you want curl up in my room for a bit? We can have a film or two just for us there?”

The enthusiastic nod he got in response was worth far more than the affronted stare he got from Logan, the only side close enough to have heard Virgil’s words.

They still remained holding hands through the rest of the first film and the entirety of Patton’s choice. It put a little bit of strain on Virgil’s shoulder from the awkward angle but he was fine with that, especially when it meant he got a small smile occasionally.

As soon as the opening credits to Flushed Away began, Remus was jumping up to lean as far over the sofa as he could. “Me!” He cried out, getting Virgil to start snickering, and nodding, along with a lot of bewildered and confused glances from the others.

“You can cuddle if you put clothes on.” Virgil suggested, only increasing the confusion of the others, but they weren’t the ones that mattered in the moment; The man bouncing onto his lap, a rat onesie appearing on him as he moved was.

Virgil did have to hide his moment of increased concern however. Among the sides it was rare anyone would actually put their favourite movie forward for their movie nights. Generally that only happened if they were feeling particularly bad and they’d still tried to hide how interested in the film they were. Seeing Remus’s favourite on the screen was worrying, especially when considering how he’d hidden his reaction to being put last again.

He didn’t speak at that moment though, waiting until the film was finished before standing. “I think we’re going to hang out in my room for a bit before we sleep. Tomorrow I’m calling a family meeting about how half of this family is being treated as second class and I’m not accepting that this time. Let’s get our rota for movie night back.”

As he turned to carry Remus up to his room they could hear Janus asking about what rota Virgil meant. That could wait until the morning, especially with a rat man nuzzling into his neck.

“How’d you get my choice put in your place?” Remus whispered, not wanting to be heard when the others didn’t often remember that they sometimes had to act in specific ways for their roles but didn’t always want to be their jobs.

“I swapped what was put as our choices around, although if memory serves you’d still have enjoyed Shrek for the nostalgia of finding your favourite animated movie studio.” Virgil basically dropped the other on the bed, already moving to set up his laptop for their own movie night. If he didn’t distract himself it would be too obvious just how focused he was on trying to look after Remus tonight.

They’d been so close just a few short years ago, and had discovered Dreamworks together after Thomas first saw Shrek. Virgil had so many memories of them curling up in his room while Janus fretted over various things he wanted Thomas to do, for a break or for some sort of quick and easy career progression.

Those evenings hadn’t always been the best, sometimes the anxiety in Thomas was too strong or there were too many thoughts going through Remus for them to relax enough to enjoy a film. They still gave the pair a camaraderie Virgil had slowly realised was rarely found among the other sides that he’d missed while they hadn’t been talking as much.

“Marry me, Roddy.” Remus sighs, breaking into his thoughts, “We could sail the sewage seas forever,”

Virgil snorts a little, knowing that while the emotions behind Remus’s words were real the request wasn’t. “How about I date you for a bit first? We can come back to the marriage in a year or two.”

“Okay, I’ll work out how to do that becoming a giant thing in that time then.” Remus easily agree, before jumping to kneel leaning as close to the screen as he could with Virgil’s body between them. “What are you putting on now?”

“Something else I can watch with my boyfriend.” was all the reply he was offered, the pair snuggling together as Virgil hit play.


End file.
